Electric signal.



PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

'A.B.DUNGAN. ELECTRIC SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 17, 1905.

I J Attorneys Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN BENTON DUN GAN, OF ALLEN TOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE O. WILLIAMS, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALLEN BENTON DUN- GAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Electric Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric signaling apparatus, and has for its principal object to provide a signaling system for use in connection with single-track trolley and other electrical roads where turnouts are employed at intervals, so that trains or cars moving in both directions will be informed of the presence of trains or cars on the line between turnouts.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the signals as to indicate the direction in which the cars are traveling, and a still further object is to arrange the Wiring system in such manner that resistance elements are introduced betweentthe source of energy and the circuit-controlling instruments and signals, which are usually of such nature as to prevent the use of a heavy current.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of circuit-closing means to be automatically actuated by the cars as they leave or enter the turnouts.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagram of an electrical signaling system arranged in accordance with the invention, showing a portion of a single track and two turnouts. Fig. 2 is a detail view, in side elevation, of one of the circuit-closers. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation illustrating the location of'the trolley-wire, the trolleywheel, and a portion of the circuit-closing mechanism.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, A indicates the main line,

and B B are turnouts, the direction in which the cars travel on the turnouts being indicated by the arrows. For the present purpose the line A may be assumed to be a trolley-line continuously connected to the wires at the two turnouts. At a point to the right of the turnout B, assuming a car to be traveling in the direction of the arrow a, are two signals, which in the present instance are illustrated in the form of lamps 0c 90, and to the right of the turnout B, assuming a car to be tpaveling in the direction of the arrow 0/, are two signalsy y. These two sets of signals are connected to each other and to the trolley-line in such manner as to indicate the presence of cars or trains on the stretch of track between the two turnouts and the direction in which said cars or train are traveling, and between each two turnouts of the entire system is a similar pair of sets of signaling devices connected in the same manner. The signals w w are so arranged that they may be observed only by cars on the turnout B traveling in the direction of the arrow a, while the signals y y are visible only from cars on the turnout B traveling in the direction of the arrow (1/, the direction in which the signals are visible being indicated by lenses 1.

At a point adjacent to the signals :1: w is arranged a pair of electromagnets 10 and 11, and between them is hung an armature-lever 12, which under normal conditions engages a contact 13, that is connected to a groundwire 14. The electromagnet 10 is connected in a circuit 16, leading from a contact 17 at the end of the turnout B and in a osition to be engaged by the trolley-wheel of the car in order to connect the wire 16 to the trolleywire through a resistance 18 and the electro magnet 10 and thence to ground through the wire 14, the electromagnet 10 being energized and attracting the armature 12, said armature moving into engagement with acontact 19, that is connected bya wire 20 tothe lamp a; and to the trolley-wire, a resistance element 21 being introduced in said wire in order to protect the lamps.

When the armature 12 engages contact 19, the circuit is closed through said armature to the lamp x and thence by way of wire 20 and resistance 21 to the signal as, thence to the signal y adjacent to the turnout B, and thence through armature 12 and wire 14 to ground, 5 so that any car moving in the direction of the arrow a from the turnout B to the main line will close the circuit of the electromagnet 10, and as a result the three signals 90, w, and y will be displayed and will remain displayed 10 until the car leaves the main track and comes into engagement with a contact 17 on the turnout B. When this occurs, a circuit will be closed from the trolley-wire through the contact 17, wire 23, resistance 24, wire I 5 25, electromagnet 11, wire 26, and to ground by way of wire 14, thus energizing the electromagnet 11 and pulling the armature 12 over into engagement with the contact 13, thus breaking the circuit of the three signals 20 c, and y, so that said signals will be no longer displayed.

The arrangement of the signals and wiring connections at the turnout B are substan tially the same as described. When a car 2 5 traveling in the direction of the arrow 0 leaves the turnout B, it closes a contact 17 with the trolley-wire, and a current iilows through resistance 18, wire 16 electromagnet to ground-wire 14, energizing said 0 electromagnet 10 and attracting armature 12. The armature 12 engages a contact 19, and a circuit is thereupon closed from the trolley-wire through wire 20, signal y,

, resistance 21, armature 12, lamp y, wire 21,

lamp ac, armature 12, contact 13, and the ground-wire 14, so that the two signals 'y y will be visible from the turnout B, and the signal :13 will be visible from the turnout B. A car which has left the turnout B then travels along the main line until it reaches the contact 17 of the turnout B, whereupon a circuit is closed through wire 23, resistance 24, wire 25, wire 25, electromagnet 11,

, wire 26, to ground-wire 14. The electro- 5 magnet 11 when energized attracts the armature 12, and thus breaks the circuit of the three lamps y, y, and :20.

It will be observed that after a car has left the turnout B for the main line anyfollowing car on the main line will be warned by the display of two lights (or other signals) that the track is occupied between the two turnouts B B, and any car traveling on the turnout B in the direction of the arrow a will be warned by a single light 'y that a car is apgroaching the turnout B "from the turnout In the same manner a car leaving the turnout B and traveling in the direction of the arrow (1 will set to display positions the lamps orsignals y y and the single signal x,

leaving warning of a similar nature.

The resistance elements described may be of any character and are too well known in this art to require detailed description.

The construction of the car-actuated circuit-closing devices is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. A hanger or sup ort 30 is secured to the trolley-wire A an is provided with a vertically-disposed post 31 and a vertical lug 32. To the post is secured aproject- 7o ing contact-arm 33, from which leads the wire 16. To the lug 32 is pivoted a lever 34, carrying a contact-block 35, immediately below the contact 33, but normally out of contact therewith. At the front end of the lever 7 5 34 is a small metallic wheel 36, that rests on the trolley-wire and is in a position to be engaged by the trolley-wheel 2, (see Fig. 3,) which wheel will raise themetallic wheel 36, and by elevating the lever 34 will cause contact 35 to engage contact 33, and thus establish a circuit from the trolley-wire A to the wire 16.

With a signaling system of the class described each car or train is warned of the presence of another car or train on the stretch of track between the two turnouts and is also informed of the direction in which the car or train is traveling, so that danger of accidental collisions is reduced to a minimum.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claime is 1. In an electric signaling system for electric railways having a single track and turnouts, a pair of signals arranged adjacent to each of the turnouts, circuits in which said signals are arranged, and circuit-closing devices operable b a car entering from either end of the main ine for energizing the pair of signals at one end, and a single signal at the opposite end of the main line, thereby indicating the direction in which the car is trave H10.

2? In an electric signaling system for electric railways having a single track and turnouts, a pair of signals arran ed adjacent to each turnout, a circuit normfily grounded at both ends and connecting one signal of each pair in series, armatures forming a part of such grounded circuit, a pair of electromagnets for each armature, the armature bein disposed between, and within the field 0 force of both magnets, a normally open circuit extending from the current-conductor of the system through the remaining signal of each pair and having a terminal within the path of movement of the armature, normally open circuits extending from points adjacent to the main current-conductor through the individual electroma nets to the ground, the 12 electromagnets whic normally attract the armatures to positions in the ground signalcircuit being connected in series, and car actuated contacts arranged at the turnouts and serving to automatically close one of the ground-circuits through one of said electromagnets, thereby attracting the armature into engagement with the terminal of the single signal-circuit, whereby a circuit is closed from the main line throughboth of the I 30 signals at the turnout from which a car is passing, and through a single signal at the turnout toward which the car is traveling, and car-actuated circuit-closers at the entrance of the turnouts for closing a circuit from the main line through the series-connected electromagnets to ground, thereby attracting both armatures and breaking the signal-circuit.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a trolley-wire, of a support arranged above the wire, a contact secured to said support, a lever pivoted at one end to the support and carrying a contact normally separated from the support-carried contact, I 5

a flanged wheel arranged at the front end of the lever and resting on the trolley-Wire in position to be engaged by the trolley-wheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 20 Witnesses:

SILAs R. ROTHERNAL, LOUIS A. SASSAMAN. 

